What's your Uber experience?

[N860CR]

Another good Ola trick... I was leaving a large ethnic wedding at one of those function centres that’s randomly smack in a residential area with not much else around. This meant, of course, that as the place cleared out it created a surge pricing area.

I booked an Ola and the quoted price was $50 (approx). Driver accepted, waited a few mins and cancelled. Ola app searches for another driver, and one takes it. A few mins later, again cancels. This process goes about 4 times before a driver shows up. Ends up the total cost was $150.

After a lot of stuffing around with Ola (their service takes poor to new levels), I end up getting the same response a few times (it was peak pricing and the app says this clearly). The problem is the app doesn’t actually tell you this when it’s automatically rebooking after a driver related cancellation.

It sounds like quite a good scam... and easily manipulated by the drivers.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Is Jimmy your cousin? Am I missing something here?

And you have at least 2 AMEX cards..... not much info there, but I'd still edit those screen shots @Cruiser Elite

Tks for tip on AMEX Nos - I never noticed.

Nope Jimmy not my cousin - Jimmy runs a fleet of Silver Service Taxes - ALL Statesman type or better - impeccably clean - impeccably punctual for pre-bookings - totally professional drivers - chauffeur service at basic taxi price. Whilst Silver Service commands premium if booked through Silver Cabs if you call or text Jimmy direct with full details you will pay only basic taxi rates with no premium.

I posted a specific thread here years back and I know he has quite a few AFF Members now you him - his contact number is +61 426 267 900.

One of my nieces who was an Exec in Harold Mitchell's outfit reminded me last night she put me onto Jimmy - one of Harold's staff members forgot to book Harold a car when he returned to MEL one night and he scored Jimmy himself in the taxi rank - Harold was so impressed with total package he cancelled his contract with their car service next day and used Jimmy's fleet exclusively from there on.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Off to Topys tonight and again Uber too far off the pace:

 

[Quickstatus]

Note if you want an Uber at Hobart airport. There is a designated pick up area, with 'reserved for uber' markings, but don't go to it. You have to go over or around a fence and the drivers don't go there. Go to the regular pax pick up area immediately adjacent to the uber designated area.

That's been my experience 2/2 times so far.

Was at HBA on the weekend. The UBER designated pickup is behind a fence in a parking lot. I noticed that all the people on the median island pickup area adjacent to the taxi rank was intermittently looking at phone and then looking at car. I did the same and got picked up by UBER there. $31 to UTas. No tip and noticed my rating dropped from 4.90 to 4.89. And I didn’t even have checked luggage..

 

[RooFlyer]

Yep same as my experience.

 

[Limewood]

Used Uber last Sunday (3rd March) at Broadbeach on Gold Coast Asian lady turned up in a VW Golf, said drop off at Nerang railway station, she said yes, never heard one word from her other than that, she drove in fast lane at 80kms hr, taking her foot off/on accelerator all the way, bloody annoying, she also had a tight grip on the steering wheel as her knuckles turned red, car inside was not clean, asked to do a review see she had 5 stars WHAT!

 

[Quickstatus]

Isnt the whole point of Uber a ride share - sharing a ride in a normal average person's car.

 

[Buzzard]

Isnt the whole point of Uber a ride share - sharing a ride in a normal average person's car.

That was the concept but it has moved on to where there now seems to be a high expectation.

 

[Quickstatus]

That was the concept but it has moved on to where there now seems to be a high expectation.

Once there is money involved, expectations go up. Pay Cheap expect first class. Sort of what happens at LCC airlines.

The contrarian view is that it should be Cheap and Cheerful rather than Cheap and Nasty

 

[dajop]

Isnt the whole point of Uber a ride share - sharing a ride in a normal average person's car.

Yes and if you’re lucky on the evening of 24th December you might just snare a ride share with Santa Claus himself.

Given that a lot of Uber drivers rent vehicles to specifically drive for Uber it’s long since passed the point of just sharing rides with average people in “normal” cars.

 

[QF WP]

A very interesting story here that some of us have experienced:

Customers have accused Uber drivers of gaming a system that compensates them for cancelled rides, with the online platform planning to investigate. Several people told the Sydney Morning Herald some drivers were intentionally stopping in inconvenient locations to encourage their would-be passengers to pull the pin. While admitting there may be some gaming of the system, a bigger issue of a lack of infrastructure for ride-sharing services, which are becoming increasingly popular, was also cited by drivers.

 

[Quickstatus]

I always consider where the pick up point is going to be especially with regard to the direction of travel and appropriateness of the pickup point.

So there is no reason for an Uber driver to turn up elsewhere. In the above case I tell them I’m here at pickup point and would not cancel.

 

[odysseus]

I always consider where the pick up point is going to be especially with regard to the direction of travel and appropriateness of the pickup point.

So there is no reason for an Uber driver to turn up elsewhere. In the above case I tell them I’m here at pickup point and would not cancel.

You'd likely be fine. I believe they're more likely to try these scenarios where they believe the passenger has made some transgression e.g. waiting in a No Stopping zone or other illegal/problematic place. That way they avoid the problem/potential dissatisfaction from the passenger while gaining a fee out of it.

 

[dajop]

A very interesting story here that some of us have experienced:

Customers have accused Uber drivers of gaming a system that compensates them for cancelled rides, with the online platform planning to investigate. Several people told the Sydney Morning Herald some drivers were intentionally stopping in inconvenient locations to encourage their would-be passengers to pull the pin. While admitting there may be some gaming of the system, a bigger issue of a lack of infrastructure for ride-sharing services, which are becoming increasingly popular, was also cited by drivers.

Happened to me once when I booked a Lyft car from hotel in San Francisco. Saw the driver slow down, in the lane adjacent to the pick up area then sped off again quickly. And continued to drive several blocks without any attempt to come back. Gave up, cancelled and guess what ? Fare had increased 30% Got the cancel fee back though.

 

[Buzzard]

Four Corners next Monday is about Uber. Could be interesting.

 

[NoName]

A very interesting story here that some of us have experienced:

Customers have accused Uber drivers of gaming a system that compensates them for cancelled rides, with the online platform planning to investigate. Several people told the Sydney Morning Herald some drivers were intentionally stopping in inconvenient locations to encourage their would-be passengers to pull the pin. While admitting there may be some gaming of the system, a bigger issue of a lack of infrastructure for ride-sharing services, which are becoming increasingly popular, was also cited by drivers.

I would believe that some would try this. Again, counterproductive. You need to arrive and wait in the pickup spot for 5 minutes before you can cancel as a no show and if you’re hoping the passenger will cancel you better hope they are going to actually do that and not just allow you to sit there forever. Better off just picking them up and doing the job. But then, most of these people aren’t known for their intelligence.

 

[Deleted member]

Tks for tip on AMEX Nos - I never noticed.

Nope Jimmy not my cousin - Jimmy runs a fleet of Silver Service Taxes - ALL Statesman type or better - impeccably clean - impeccably punctual for pre-bookings - totally professional drivers - chauffeur service at basic taxi price. Whilst Silver Service commands premium if booked through Silver Cabs if you call or text Jimmy direct with full details you will pay only basic taxi rates with no premium.

I posted a specific thread here years back and I know he has quite a few AFF Members now you him - his contact number is +61 426 267 900.

One of my nieces who was an Exec in Harold Mitchell's outfit reminded me last night she put me onto Jimmy - one of Harold's staff members forgot to book Harold a car when he returned to MEL one night and he scored Jimmy himself in the taxi rank - Harold was so impressed with total package he cancelled his contract with their car service next day and used Jimmy's fleet exclusively from there on.

I’m guessing silver service is owned by different folks in different states? Because the SS taxi we had in SYD the other day was a disaster, I’m back to catching trains form now on

 

[Deleted member]

Used Uber last Sunday (3rd March) at Broadbeach on Gold Coast Asian lady turned up in a VW Golf, said drop off at Nerang railway station, she said yes, never heard one word from her other than that, she drove in fast lane at 80kms hr, taking her foot off/on accelerator all the way, bloody annoying, she also had a tight grip on the steering wheel as her knuckles turned red, car inside was not clean, asked to do a review see she had 5 stars WHAT!

The good old “pump type accerator” driver, lots of SYD Taxi drivers do that trick, makes me car sick.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Uber and DiDi basically same drivers - 27% v 5% comm - only possible explanation:

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Just had an excellent uber driver in CNS. He was a refugee (Mong, if I spelt it correctly) and his car was immaculately clean, he was immaculately dressed and he was entertaining and informative. I gave him a $5 tip.